Karl Frog Yes, Music LP
Atypical sounds for round these parts, but worth your time. KARL FROG is a Swedish musician whose music does not come with power chords or blastbeats; no breakdowns, no shredding up or down the fretboard. What FROG does offer is fantastic and beautiful artsy pop. JOHN CALE’s “Barracuda” has been a long-time favorite song, and as soon as the opener “Colonial Hearts” kicked in, I knew I was in line for something wonderful. Playing this type of music often requires good balance, as the tightrope you have to walk to not quickly fall into Wes Anderson soundtrack-fodder can be extremely tricky. FROG walks the line with ease, offering up eleven smart, poppy songs that feel like good DESTROYER B-sides or early BRIAN ENO with a bit less production. Sometimes your mind can use a distortion break. The next time that happens for you, I implore you to see what FROG is cooking up.